Tom Kitchin: ‘Brightly coloured ingredients were laid out stall after stall - it created a display of the most beautiful art’

After the buzz and vibrancy of the bustling city of Bangkok, we headed about 800km south, to the province of Krabi, on the Andaman coast. It was a huge contrast to the lively atmosphere of the capital, with a more laid-back mood, a landscape of sparkling white beaches, crystal-clear waters, beautiful limestone cliffs and colourful wildlife – not to mention exotic food. Arriving in Krabi and the resort of Rayavadee meant spending some quality time with my family, which was the most beautiful thing. The boys loved the sunshine, swimming pool, beaches and the warm waters of the Andaman Sea, as did we. We were fortunate to be staying in a resort where the tropical landscapes and atmosphere resembled that of a Thai village, and it was an incredible treat for us all to relax for a while. Apart from getting to know a few Thai chefs and other people who became friends, I also made sure I managed to fit in a game of football with the locals most afternoons on the beach. It was just a wee bit different to our usual kick-around in the park in Leith, you could say, but it was equally competitive and fun. The food we had in southern Thailand was phenomenal, and there were so many fresh, local ingredients that we had never tasted before. As you know, I just love discovering new flavours and produce. We would enjoy the most amazing, colourful fruit platters for breakfast, laden with fresh pineapple, papaya and mangoes, and then traditional Thai food for lunch and dinner. The flavour of the fruits was just incredible, and very different to the exotic fruit we buy here. I guess I had noticed this before, when I visited Brazil, but every time I am just astounded by how good exotic fruit tastes in its natural habitat. We also enjoyed fresh coconut and the local dragon fruit, which grows in south-east Asia. There are three different varieties but the kind we tried had floral pink skin and a white flesh inside, with small speckled black stones. It tasted wonderful – very sweet and unusually crunchy, somewhere between a kiwi fruit and a pear in its flavour. At the resort, which is close to the more well-known Phi Phi Island and Bamboo Island, recognised as a location for the movie The Beach, we got to know general manager Reza, who was incredibly welcoming and generous with his time. I was, of course, particularly excited about getting to know the chef and his brigade, to pick up a tips and inspiration. Reza even took us to the local market of Krabi with his wife and son on his day off, to introduce us to all the local produce. It was fantastic to have a local guide once again and fascinating to hear more about Thai culture and cooking. Krabi’s market is wonderfully vibrant, with all kinds of fresh and colourful produce, and I enjoyed every minute of it. What I found particularly interesting were the values many of the locals hold. Family is hugely important to the people of Thailand, and we were even reminded of this on our trip to the market. It was evident that many families were working together, running their stalls and selling and cooking local goods, often under primitive circumstances. What amazed me was seeing how hard the people of the market work. We think we work hard in this country but, in comparison, I’d say we often have it easy. There was such determination in their eyes. Many people’s faces, often framed by colourful silk scarves, told tales of their hard work, and I was intrigued to find out more about them and their produce. I was slightly surprised to see how many women were working in the local markets, and several with their children playing close by, – often around puddles of water from the vegetables or even on smelly floors by the fish counters. But many were also helping out their parents. At some of the stalls, it was noticeable that there were two or three generations of woman working together. I was fortunate to get to know a great number of female chefs during my trip to Thailand. One of them is a lady I referred to as Chef Tim. She is a very hard-working local lady who has been employed at the resort for years. We became friends and I asked her to cook a few meals for us during our stay, to showcase the best of Thai cooking. She, like many other chefs, bases her skills and menus on genuine family values, with recipes being passed down through generations. A lot of the chefs I met were using versions of recipes used by their own mothers – and probably their mothers before them – and what they and I referred to as ‘mama’s cooking’ was the best food I tasted during my visit to Thailand. What also inspired me was the way my new friends worked with their produce. In a similar way that I’m so passionate about understanding produce and knowing where it comes from and how to get the very best from it, they all know their ingredients inside out and always make the most of the amazing flavours from them. At the markets you see the whole process, from the shelling or gutting of the fish to the butchering of the meat, right through to the creation of these piping hot dishes of local cuisine. It’s fantastic to see everything in front of your eyes in the busy marketplaces, and while often the produce on show is in its rawest form and not always in the cleanest condition, it’s so interesting to see each stage of the cooking process in action. If you’re visiting Thailand yourself, I’d recommend using your common sense when it comes to buying or eating from the markets. We were lucky to have a local’s point of view on which stalls and markets to visit, and I would recommend that if you’re unsure about which to choose, look for those stalls that have the biggest queues of local people, just to be on the safe side. With Thailand’s many beautiful settings next to the great Andaman Sea, it also means access to some of the most outstanding seafood and shellfish. The local oysters, crabs and tiger prawns were fresh and incredibly tasty. When we first arrived in Thailand, our elder son, Kasper, was quite hesitant about trying anything too exotic and was worried the food would be too spicy. But after a few days of plain chicken and rice, he even enjoyed fresh tiger prawns from their shells, just like the rest of us. The vegetables in the market were thrilling and soon became my favourite part of the market to explore. Tray upon tray of striking, brightly coloured ingredients were laid out stall after stall – it created a display of the most beautiful art. I could have spent hours just wandering around the markets discovering new and exciting things. There is a huge range of seasoning and spices used in Thai cooking – predominantly ginger and chillies. They also enjoy a lot of raw vegetables such as spring onion, which is cut into small pieces and used to garnish stir-fries and curries. In the same way that the vegetables are put to best use in the dishes, so are some of the local flowers and plants. We came across herbs like chrysanthemums growing all around our resort and were delighted to find them used in one of the dishes prepared by another very talented female chef at the resort. Again, I was lucky to spend an afternoon with this talented lady, learning more about her philosophy and skills. She really inspired me by presenting us with deep-fried chrysanthemum garnished with local prawns. The dish looked amazing – simply presented yet so delicious peppered with the colourful flowers – but, more than anything, it tasted just divine. Chrysanthemum tea is also a very popular drink in Thailand. Served hot or cold, it’s made by steeping chrysanthemum flowers in boiling water and is often sweetened with sugar. The foundation of much Thai cooking is consistent. The stocks they cook with are made using similar principles to those we use at home – boiling up the liquid and reducing it down, but often using coconut milk as the base. It gives the dishes a really intense, rich flavour and is what makes them taste so unique. You can buy good-quality coconut milk here and, although I know many people find it easier to buy ready-made curry pastes, it’s actually incredibly easy to make your own using a selection of fresh spices – and the result is even tastier. This simple Thai green curry recipe was given to me by the head chef of the resort, and it was passed on to him by his mother. I have used chicken in this recipe but it works equally well with prawns or even fish or meat. It is really simple but, because of its truly authentic flavours, it will always take me back to the beautiful paradise of Thailand. Thai Chicken Green Curry 500g chicken, diced 1 onion, chopped 1 aubergine, chopped 2 tins good-quality coconut milk Curry paste 10 green chillies 2 lemongrass sticks 2 kaffir lime leaves 25g ginger 1 tbsp chopped coriander 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp roasted coriander seeds 5 garlic cloves 8 shallots To finish 4 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp palm sugar 7 lime leaves 1 red chilli, chopped 1 tbsp coriander Place all the ingredients for the green curry paste into the blender until smooth or place into a pestle and mortar and crush by hand. In a bowl, place the chicken pieces and mix with the curry paste, adding the amount of curry paste to your taste. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add oil, then the onion and the aubergine and sweat for three to four minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer and add the chicken, curry paste, fish sauce and palm sugar and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the lime leaves, chopped red chilli and coriander on top. Scallops in a Thai dressing 20g garlic, chopped 30g chilli, chopped 10g coriander, chopped 4 tbsp lime juice 2 ½ tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp palm sugar 4 hand-dived Orkney scallops, cooked Finely dice the garlic, chillies and coriander together. Place the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar in a pan and warm lightly, until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool slightly and add the chopped chilli, garlic and coriander. Slice the scallops thinly and cover with the dressing, then serve.